Anne LeBaron: Portrait Concerts

“She inhabits her massive instrument as if it were a continent.” —The New York City Jazz Record

Widely recognized as one of the most intriguing talents in American postmodern composition, Anne LeBaron has used her music to explore a range of fanciful subjects and stories—from the mysterious Singing Dune of Kazakhstan to figures such as the apocryphal cross-dressing Pope Joan and Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Surveying four decades of adventurous musicmaking—honored with the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, as well as Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships, among other prizes—two different programs feature selections from LeBaron’s operas, concert theater pieces, and instrumental compositions augmented by electronics and video. Also in the mix: a sneak preview of the composer’s seventh opera, Psyche & Delia, which probes the cultural resonances of LSD; and compositions by LeBaron’s former students. Guest artists include soprano Lucy Shelton, flutist Camilla Hoitenga, shakuhachi player Ralph Samuelson, and the Formalist Quartet.

On April 12, compositions by Anne LeBaron include Creación de las Aves; a selection from Silent Steppe Cantata; Way of Light; Doggone Catact; and Breathtails, with additional compositions by Daniel Corral and James Klopfleisch. Special guests: Richard Valitutto, Timur Bekbosunov, Daniel Rosenboom, Ralph Samuelson, and the Formalist Quartet.

Funded in part with generous support from The Herb Alpert Foundation. The Alpert Award in the Arts, a fellowship program that supports innovative practitioners in the fields of dance, film/video, music, theater and visual arts, is administered by CalArts on behalf of The Herb Alpert Foundation.